


Whipped

by babypenguinluke



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Age Play, Ashton and Calum are 20, Calum is colorblind (fricking random I know), Daddy Ashton, Eating Disorders, Little Luke, M/M, Malum are poor, Non-Sexual Age Play, luke is 17, michael is 18, this is really shitty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-20 02:34:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10653129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babypenguinluke/pseuds/babypenguinluke
Summary: A short story following Ashton and Luke's day to day life, with their two best friends tagging along and them all dealing with their problems together. Kind of.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. Soo this book is here because I deleted it from wattpad to edit it and make it in the form of oneshots. I still had it saved in its original form, and figured someone might wanna read it like that.
> 
> My wattpad account is @lashykins
> 
> Have fun reading??

Luke creeped outside of Ashton's bedroom. He giggled to himself and waited before putting his evil plan on action: waking up his daddy.

The blonde had woken up earlier than the older boy that morning. He got bored quickly just laying in his soft bed and rubbing away sleep from his eyes. Little Lukey then got an idea, which would give him something to do and maybe some morning cuddles also. Something the (currently) 6 year old boy loved.

Luke opened the door just slightly, peeking from the little gap in to the room. The wavy haired man was still asleep, despite the clock being almost 10 am, and his duvet had rode down exposing his bare back.

"One, two, three" the younger boy quietly counted aloud, making Ashton move around in his sleep a bit. He took in a deep breath and ran to his boyfriend jumping straight on top of him. Ashton groaned and yeah, he was definitely awake now.

"Morning daddy!" he said sweetly in his high pitched voice. Luke was still wearing the clothes he slept in: Ashton's old flannel shirt and his own boxer shorts. The older of the two tried to sit up, which was difficult with his giggling boy weighing him down.

"Luke... That was not nice..." Ashton mumbled burying his head in his pillow. He had a wild bed head, having showered last night without bothering to dry his honey blond hair properly. The little one pouted when he was being ignored and crawled over to lay next to his daddy.

In his still sleepy state Ashton hadn't noticed something. He hadn't yet realized that his boyfriend was feeling little at the moment, not like a 17 year old. Nor had he registered what Luke had called him. Instantly his attitude towards Luke changed to being more gentle, and suddenly he didn't mind being awake. He lifted his head up and opened his eyes, turning to look at Luke.

Said boy was now under the warm covers beside Ashton. "Sorry daddy, I was bored without you" he said and snuggled up closer to him. Ashton just chuckled with this loving expression. He liked Luke even more when he was little (and luckily that had been happening quite often recently). He was just so endearing and adorable. Of course the boy was always loved by Ashton, but his little days we're filled with more joy and warmth.

"How long have you been awake, baby?" the taller boy asked Luke, gently combing through his flat hair with his fingers, whilst his other arm was wrapped around the little one. "About half an hour" the boy replied, closing his eyes and smiling at the touch. He was like a kitten being pet, pulling his face from Ashton's neck so that he could play with his hair more.

"Guess how long I was before you came here?" Ashton asked smirking a bit. He watched Luke furrow his eyebrows and open his eyes, the older one's head now propped up on his elbow, as he was no longer petting Luke's hair. Crystal blue orbs met his hazel ones, confusion showing, until he replied: "But you were asleep?"

Ashton smiled down at the boy, tightening his grip around him just a bit. He had this glint in his eyes, whilst Luke was still confused. "Exactly, baby. I was sleeping until you little meanie decided to wake me up!" he yelled and attacked Luke with tickles.

He had him pressed against himself whilst tickling his sides. Luke wasn't having any of it, well, if he had had a chance to get out, he would have. Instead he just kicked his bare feet vigorously and giggled. "No! Daddy no-" he shouted before his own laughter cut him off. Finally Ashton decided to give the poor boy some mercy, laughing at him and sitting up, holding the - now pouting - boy close. The (mentally) six year old was out of breath and feeling very betrayed, after all he just wanted some cuddles, but ended up being attacked.

"See, you don't mess with daddy, isn't that right, Lukey?" he ruffled the blond's already messed up hair. Luke just grumbled, but nodded anyway. Ashton giggled, he was suddenly feeling really great. Maybe it was because his brain had finally woken up properly, but he could just tell this was going to be a good day.

Ashton hummed and squeezed Luke tightly, kissing his forehead and tapping his hip lightly. "What about we get up, shower and go out for some breakfast?" he suggested.

Luke's eyes lightened up and he was no longer upset at his daddy (what more can you expect from a little kid?), because they didn't eat in town that often. "Okay daddy! I'll go right now!" he squealed and was soon out of Ashton's lap and long gone running through the hallways.

"Wow, I love him."


	2. Chapter 2

An hour later Luke was happily eating his pancakes. His long legs were childishly swaying back and forth as he sat opposite of Ashton in a booth. Luke didn't exactly know the café's name, but hey, he'd got pancakes so it was alright.

"You like your breakfast?" the older boy asked. (Even though they should have gone out for brunch considering the time. The smaller boy insisted on having pancakes, and Ashton knew there's no point in denying something from him.) Luke hummed in response, munching away. He had gotten some syrup and a mushed blueberry on his pale blue sweater. His black skinny jeans had survived without any stains, though.

Ashton noticed his little's messy attire, but he didn't care enough to scold him. Washing machines existed, and Ashton just wanted to enjoy the day. He smiled at the content expression on Luke's face and took another sip of his coffee.

Soon they were both done eating. Luke got up from his chair and took Ashton's hand in his own smaller one. The older male was dressed in a dark green button up shirt, same kind of jeans as his baby and had some bracelets on his wrist. Luke felt lucky to have him as his boyfriend and as someone who took care of him.

"Ready to leave?" he asked grinning down at the little one. "Yes d-" Luke paused. He looked horrified, noticing what almost slipped from his mouth. The thing is, the couple had an agreement about what Luke would call his boyfriend when they were in public. They tried to stick with "Ash" or "Ashy" instead of the usual daddy nickname, because then it would be less intimate and just more appropriate. They would then also get spared from rude comments or weird looks by the judgemental people the world is nowadays filled with.

But sometimes slip ups like this would happen, or almost happen. Ashton chuckled a bit at the fear filled blue eyes that were staring at him. He ruffled his boyfriend's hair (which earned a pout from the younger boy, because now his hair looked even messier), saying: "It's okay, love. Just remember 'Ashy' from now on." and Luke sighed in relief.

The two of them walked on the streets, hand in hand, close to eachother. Luke was happily skipping, making the hem of his jumper go up and down with him whilst Ashton tried to keep him under control, so that the 5'8 little wouldn't bump into people passing by.

As they stopped for red lights Luke started humming and looking around. He didn't have to worry about getting across the road safely, Ashton would guide him or tug at his hand as a sign to start walking again.

The world was beautiful through Luke's eyes, all the different kinds of people, the pretty blue sky with cotton candy like clouds, the tall and colourful buildings. Everything was just so mesmerizing to him. It was a blessing, really. To be able to look past the negative things in life and only see the positive ones.

The light turned green and so the couple continued their walk home. Soon they arrived there and got inside the large detached house. Ashton put on Disney channel to keep the little entertained. "Call for me if you need anything, pumpkin. Daddy's gonna be up in his room doing some work, okay?" he said and kissed Luke's forehead.

The boy giggled and nodded, getting comfortable on the big couch. Ashton was heading upstairs when he heard the blonde shout: "Can you get Pengy for me? He loves Hannah Montana, too!" and Ashton had no other choice but to fetch the stuffed animal for his little boy. "Thank you" Luke said sweetly when receiving his cuddle buddy.

The blonde wrapped himself up in the soft quilt and laid his head on the pillows. Pengy's fur was tickling his face, but Luke didn't mind as he giggled at the show and "chatted" with his beloved stuffie.

Meanwhile Ashton was in his office doing some paper work. He had a job as a real estate agent and honestly loved it. He got enough money for a nice house and to support him and Luke, he got to work from home and just really enjoyed the job itself.

Ashton decided to go check on Luke downstairs. He put the papers back on their file and left his room running a hand through his honey blond hair.

When he got to the first floor of their nicely decorated home and walked to the living room, he saw his baby sleeping soundly on the couch. Luke's face was buried in a pillow, the blanket tightly wrapped over his upper body, but exposing bare legs (jeans were very uncomfortable to take a nap in, Luke had learned that), and his stuffed animal's head was peaking from under Luke's chin.

Ashton quietly cooed at the sight, but didn't pull the blanket over to cover the blonde's legs in fear of waking him up. He sat down on the couch since the shorter boy was curled up in a ball leaving room for him, and changed the channel from the one playing a Spongebob marathon.

It was nice to have some time for himself. Although he loves Luke very much, Ashton was quite busy looking after him all the time. The blue eyed boy didn't even go to school seeing as he took his classes online, being a junior in high school. 

The older boy, _man_ , didn't get to relax for as long as he would've liked, though. Someone was banging on their front door, which was quite close to their living room. Ashton panicked, and not because someone was trying to get in and had scared the s.hit out of him, but because what if Luke woke up?

"Ashton! Buddy o'pal open up!" they yelled. The wavy haired man got up groaning once realizing who were trying to get in. He glanced at Luke who he didn't see that well as Ashton was now behind the couch, but the boy seemed like he hadn't moved.

He reluctantly opened the door and was met with his two best friends: Michael Clifford and Calum Hood.


	3. Chapter 3

Ashton and Calum had met in 2nd grade. Calum and his family had moved from New Zealand all the way to Brighton, England where the four friends now lived. Ashton can still remember his first encounter with the kiwi boy, which happened in art class. They were practicing how to mix colors. How yellow and blue make green, blue and red purple, stuff like that.

Ashton noticed how the boy sitting next to him was struggling. He was staring at the paint in front of him looking puzzled, and just scooped some of it on his cardboard plate. The dark haired boy then looked around the noisy class, and it was clear that he didn't know what to do next. So Ashton spoke up, asking him: "Do you not remember what the teacher said?" because he wanted to help the boy.

This made Calum jump in his seat at the sudden noise. He was too focused on figuring out how to tell his teacher that art wasn't really for him. Maybe his parents forgot to mention it to the principal, or this teacher - who's name Calum couldn't remember - just hadn't got the information. But, there wasn't much the boy could do about it. It wasn't like Ms. Keyes would believe him if he suddenly went up to her and said: "Miss, I'm sorry but mixing colors is too difficult for me. I mean, I only see in black and white." Yup, totally.

He wouldn't be lying, though. Calum had a type of color blindness called achromatopsia. Basically, you only saw different shades of grey and not color at all. Even in the young age of 8, Calum had learnt that life was difficult with this condition. The kiwi didn't even know what he was missing out on, seeing as he had been like this since he was a little kid. That didn't stop him from sometimes getting upset when others were talking about all these different colors, when he saw life through a black and white filter. 

Long story short, after that art class in 2nd grade, Ashton and Calum became friends. They stuck together until this very day and somewhere along the way they both got boyfriends. The four saw eachother quite often and usually spent time at Ashton and Luke's house, instead of the two other boy's crappy one. Michael and Calum's life wasn't as glamorous compared to their friends, but they still managed. Sometimes they got some financial help from Ashton, but only when times were tough.

Right now Ashton was met with the sight of his friends. Michael's hand was still raised for a knock and his boyfriend was clinging to his arm, grinning from ear to ear. "Hey guys!" Ashton greeted the two. "Hey, dickhead" Michael said smiling and pushed his way into the house. Calum slapped the back of the pale boy's head lightly, earning an offended look back.

Ashton moved from the door and gestured Calum to come in after his boyfriend, just sighing at Michael's actions. He was used to the green eyed boy's behavior and knew it was a way to hide his problems. Ashton and Calum shared a quick hug and Ashton shut the door behind them. "How have you two been?" the tan boy asked. He was admiring the beautifully furnished apartment wishing their house would look the same.

"We've been doing well" the honey blond replied eyeing his friend's outfit. They both had a great fashion sense and interest in clothes. The 20 year old was dressed in black, ripped skinny jeans and a black tank top. Calum had always been effortlessly good looking, unlike Ashton himself, who had an awkward fringe phase in his teen years. Not to mention the horrible purple shirt that Calum still had a picture of saved somewhere in his laptop. "Where's your shirt from?" Ashton questioned, and soon the two were engulfed in a conversation.

Michael, on the other hand, had made his way over to the soft, brown couch. His first instinct was to see what was playing on Nickelodeon and the TV was already on. The pale boy always took advantage of the cable channels his friends had in their home. Neither of the boys living there complained about it, Luke was actually happy that he had someone to watch children's shows with and Ashton didn't mind. The green eyed boy was very pleased to find out that a Spongebob marathon was on.

Before Michael went to get all comfy, he noticed how Luke was nowhere to be seen. He would have liked to have the smaller boy as a cuddle buddy, so they could both enjoy Michael's favorite show. So, he turned his head around to ask: "Ashton, where's your boy?"

Calum and the hazel eyed man turned to face the living room from where they were sat at the big kitchen, seeing as it was an open space. Ashton furrowed his brows and then realized exactly where Luke was. As he went to enlighten Michael, he was interrupted by a small whimper. It was so quiet that only Michael heard it, but the two others in the house looked at him confusedly as he turned to look at the bundle of blankets - and pillows, Michael assumed - where the noise had came from.

The blanket moved, and soon the pale boy was met with tired blue eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really a trigger warning, but there's a tiny bit of eating disorder related thoughts.

The top of Luke's head was peaking out from under the blankets. The boy was lazily staring at Michael as he had just woken up. Well, the blonde fell back asleep after his older friends had gotten inside. (Because yes, even though Michael and Calum were nowhere near his mental age, Luke still considered them as friends.)

When he woke up for a little while, he noticed how cold he was. So, he tucked himself completely in the blankets also covering his legs, and that's how Michael mistaked the sleeping boy as some blankets balled up on the comfy piece of furniture.

Seeing as the younger boy was now awake, Michael of course had to greet him. He wasn't 100 percent sure about Luke's state of mind, but decided to test his luck. Michael absolutely adored the blonde when he was in his headspace. He couldn't help how his heart melted whenever those innocent blue eyes looked right into his own, or when Luke asked him to do something. He would probably give the boy all the cookies from Ashton's secret jar if Luke wanted him to.

So, he kind of hoped Luke was feeling little at the time and considering the fact that he was napping, he probably was. "Hi, Lukey boy. Had a nice nap?"  
Michael had a wide smile on his face looking at the adorable little, leaning a bit towards him. Luke nodded slightly, he was still very tired. "Where's daddy?" the blonde mumbled pulling the blanket down to his shoulders. He couldn't put his legs straight without kicking Michael, so he just turned on his back and pulled Pengy from under the blanket.

Now, Calum and Ashton were still in the kitchen watching the encounter. They couldn't see Luke, but knew that he was awake by the way Michael was obviously talking to him. Ashton got up from the kitchen table after hearing how he was being asked for, and made his way over to the two others. "I'm here, baby."

Calum also wanted to see his little friend, so he followed after. He smiled to himself when seeing how affected Michael was. He knew how much the pale boy liked kids, after all he was just a big softie. The kiwi boy glanced at the trucker hat that sat atop of his boyfriend's head. Some strands of only recently colored hair were sticking out from under it. Calum took a spot standing next to Ashton, who was closer to the youngest boy.

Luke blushed a little at the small crowd that was gathered around him. Even though they were his friends (and one of them just a bit more), the blonde still got shy from the attention he got. Three pairs of eyes were staring up at him, with what Luke could only describe as fondness visible in them.

"Hi, munchkin" Calum said, making Luke giggle softly at the nickname. "Hi, Callie. Hi, Mikey" the blond replied to both of his friends. 

Luke was starting to grow a bit hot inside the heavy blanket, but his legs were tangled in it, so he couldn't get up. He turned to look at his older boyfriend, who was standing beside the couch with his arms crossed, though there was a kind expression on his face. 

There really wasn't a way out from being stuffed into a corner especially with Michael sitting so close to Luke. So, the blond boy locked his eyes with Ashton's hazel colored ones, and put on his best pout. For a second Luke thought he was going to have to do grabby hands, too, but luckily his daddy realized what the younger one wanted and picked him up with a playful eyeroll.

Michael didn't even move (even though Ashton almost elbowed his arm) except from turning his eyes back to the TV, but Ashton just sat on his other side and pulled Luke on his lap. Now Calum was left alone foolishly standing and kind of blocking Michael's view, so he plopped down next to his boyfriend taking the boy's hat from his head (they were indoors after all), and chucking it to the corner.

It took a few minutes of the four watching Spongebob, awkwardly cuddling to the others side and petting their little one's hair, but eventually, Luke gasped. He scrambled up from Ashton's lap making his stuffie fall on the floor and made his way over to Michael.

"Mikey! You colored your hair again!" the boy squealed before tangling his fingers in the now firetruck-red hair. Michael's green eyes watched the adorable excitement evident on Luke's face. As he let the shorter boy play with his hair, Michael couldn't help but let his gaze drop down to Luke's bare legs. _No_ , the pale lad wasn't attracted to him, they were both taken and the thought was ridiculous. Luke was like a little brother to him, their age gap being two years. 

Michael was just a bit jealous of his younger friend. His legs were so slim and long, the rest of his body was so skinny (and quite lanky, but he was a 17 year old after all)... The red haired boy just wished to look as beautiful. But, he was getting there. Hopefully.

Michael was interrupted from his thoughts by Ashton's small chuckle. "It's gonna fall out soon, just saying" the lad said making Calum let out a small laugh. "Don't worry babe, I'll still love you when you're bald" the kiwi spoke pressing a kiss to Michael's cheek. Calum liked when his boyfriend's hair was _dark_. The contrast with his fair skin and red, black or blue hair looked pretty in his eyes. Even though Calum could point out the thinning process better than others as the bright colors weren't distracting him.

Suddenly the oldest in the room got up, it had to be lunch time by now. "Right, are any of you hungry?" Ashton questioned smoothing down his shirt. Immediately Luke started to yell how he wanted some home made pizza. "Okay, calm down baby boy" the honey blond said sternly. He then asked if Calum would help him make the food and the tan boy nodded.

Luke finally freed his hands from Michael's messy fringe and asked: "Mikey, will you color with me?" with so hopeful eyes, that the older boy had to agree, like he would have anyways. So, the blond went to run upstairs to get his crayons and coloring book, but not before he heard Ashton order: "Get some pants first, sweetie."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning. Also Luke wears a skirt.
> 
>  
> 
> (This is where it went downhill y'all)

Michael's stomach grumbled. He knew they had some left over Chinese food in the fridge, but he had to fight the urge to go and grab it there. He knew how hungry Calum will be when he got home, so he was saving it up for the Kiwi just incase. And, he still had three hours left before he could eat something.

The red head had a very strict "diet" which no one knew about. He was scared of what would happen if one of his friends, for example, found out. They'd probably eye him up and down before stating that was _exactly_ what Michael needed.

The negative thought sent shivers down the pale boy's spine and made him frown. Michael got up and went to pick up his shitty laptop and some week old newspaper. He had been looking for a job for the longest time now, without a result.

Seeing as Michael was too stupid and poor to have gotten into college, he stayed home most days whilst Calum was working. He had a friend his age who was able to continue getting their education, so they sometimes sent Michael their notes and stuff. Skylar was just cool like that.

The pale boy sighed and began his search that would keep him busy until he allowed himself to eat.

-

Back at the Hemmings-Irwin household, Luke was in the middle of studying. He really disliked having to sometimes deal with normal teenager stuff. Why couldn't he be Ashton's little baby all the time? Sadly he had to actually try if he wanted to pass his junior year.

The blonde boy crossed his long legs on the office chair he was sitting on. The loud Blink-182 song was distracting him from the chemistry homework, so Luke adjusted the volume before closing the other tab completely.

Luke was cold in the thin band shirt he wore (because big Luke always dressed in big boy clothes to avoid slipping into his younger state of mind) and he really missed cuddles with Pengy. Why was school work so frustrating, surely other people his age thought so too? Or maybe Luke was just dumb. The thought caused him to be even more upset, but he willed himself to continue the study session.

When realizing just how much sense chemistry made to him (zero percent), Luke tangled his hand in his blonde locks and let out a loud groan in frustration. He honestly felt like crying, he was only 20 minutes into doing school work, but it was just too hard. 

The distressed sound caught Ashton's ears, who was passing by his younger boyfriend's room. The honey blond decided to check on the boy, his dominate and caring side instantly coming out when sensing that something might be wrong.

The taller man knocked on the white door once before opening it and stepping inside. His eyes caught Luke's curled up figure in the corner of the room. He was hunched up in his chair with his back facing the doorway, and his study books were laying on the floor abandoned.

Soon the blue eyed boy started crying and wrapped his arms around his knees. Luke was so tired of not understanding his schoolwork, which caused him even more stress. It wasn't usual for him to have a small break down like this. But, being halfway into this semester, everything just seemed to be piling up.

Ashton stood on the entrance to the room for a second before rushing over to his boyfriend. He tried to ask what was wrong, but the blonde continued crying and wouldn't lift his face to look at the taller man. Eventually the sobs died down, as Ashton rubbed the shorter boy's back and whispered soothing words.

"School is too much, Ash" the blonde finally whimpered wiping away tears with the back of his hand. His eyes were still watery as he looked straight into his boyfriend's hazel ones. Luke was a bit ashamed of this outburst, he shouldn't have gotten so upset. But, on the other hand, he was now feeling very tired and didn't really care.

Ashton crouched down to be at the same level as the younger boy. He understood why Luke was suddenly overwhelmed by his schoolwork, seeing as he wasn't used to studying and wasn't necessary feeling the right age to do so at that moment.

So, Ashton placed a hand on the blue eyed boy's cheek and said: "It's okay, baby. How about I help you later in the day, but now we can go watch a movie?" Luke easily agreed and got up, drying his face with the hem of his shirt. He was very happy that he had Ashton, who always knew what was best for his boy.

The younger one felt himself slipping into headspace and heard himself ask for Pengy. Ashton smiled and said he could cuddle with the stuffie when they got downstairs.

-

Couple of minutes later Luke was changed from his big boy clothes and was now wearing a sweater and a skirt. (Because they were soft, comfortable and pretty, and his daddy had said that Luke could wear whatever he wanted to. Who needs gender roles anyways?)

He and Ashton were curled up on the couch as the movie Elf was playing on the telly. It was nowhere near Christmas, but Luke loved the season and the older lad often found himself enjoying the movie, too. Pengy was left abandoned by Luke's feet, as the blonde's attention was mainly on the movie and at his daddy who was pressing kisses to his temple every now and then.

Their peaceful moment was soon interrupted by a ringing sound. It came from Ashton's phone which was placed on the small table in front of them. The wavy haired man groaned and leaned forward to grab the device. Luke huffed when he was no longer pressed against his daddy's warm side.

"Who is it, daddy?" he asked with an annoyed tone. Ashton looked at him sternly, as to tell him not to act up, but then replied with: "It's from work. I'll answer this but I won't take too long. Do you want to pause the film?" When the little shook his head, Ashton took the call and disappeared in the kitchen.

A loud crash from the TV got Luke's focus back on the movie and he giggled when seeing that Buddy the Elf had broken something. The boy grabbed Pengy from the floor and started playing with its soft fur. He pouted a bit when feeling how cold the toy was, but happily cuddled it against his face. (Ashton wouldn't have liked his boy rubbing a not-so-clean toy to his face, but he wasn't there to see it.)

Luke waited patiently for a time that definitely felt too long, and eventually Ashton returned. He had a small smile on his face, Luke couldn't tell why, and then asked: "Do you remember Harry, Lukey?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is super short oops

/"Do you remember Harry, Lukey?"/

 

Luke gulped at the question. Yes, he did infact remember Harry.

Ashton's co-worker was a big, scary looking guy. He was taller than anyone Luke knew, had an incredibly deep voice and a lot of tattoos. The younger boy hadn't met Harry too often, but the impression he got was anything but friendly. The two had only crossed paths a few times when Luke was visiting at Ashton's work.

Although his long curls were pretty, the blonde boy was very intimidated by Harry's looks. Maybe Luke was also a bit jealous of him, because when he wasn't feeling little, he could tell how well Ashton and Harry seemed to get along. Maybe it was nothing, but the blonde was still scared of (and scared because of) the guy. No little would want their caregiver taken away from them.

Luke was snapped out of his thoughts when Ashton spoke again. "Well, he's coming over for dinner tonight. We need to talk about a few work related things, but I also invited him just for a hang out. Is that okay, baby boy?"

The younger one wouldn't have had anything to say against Ashton anyways, so he just nodded. He thought that if Ashton and Harry got too deep in conversation, it would be good if Luke wasn't left alone in that situation. So, the blonde suggested that they would get Calum and Michael to join in as well.

Ashton thought about it for a second and then happily agreed ("Why not, the more the merrier!"). Then, finally, Ashton put his phone away and sat next to Luke, having missed a good 20 minutes of the Christmas film still playing.

Whilst the blue eyed boy was nervous about the upcoming evening, the hazel eyed man's face held a content smile.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning. Probably my favorite chapter tbh

"How can Calum date me? This is so disgusting... God, I look ugly. Whatever." These kind of thoughts invaded Michael's head everytime he looked in the mirror, just like now when he had gotten out of the shower.

The pale boy truly didn't understand why his boyfriend had picked him out of all the people in the world. Not only was Calum's physical appearance gorgeous but he also wasn't loud, big mouthed or stupid like the red head. It's hard to belive that someone loves you when you view yourself so negatively.

Michael's insecurities were slowly getting the best of his and Calum's relationship. Mental illnesses sucked and were definitely something you shouldn't have to deal with alone.

This wasn't all on the pale lad though, of course all of this had started somewhere...

_Michael and Calum we're eating pizza on the couch. The commercial break between episodes of South park was rolling on the TV screen, thanks to the younger lad's weird obsession with cartoons made for grown ups._

_Michael picked up another triangle shaped piece of the delicious dough, tomato sauce and cheese heaven and curled up next to his boyfriend. He loved to be held by the tan boy, finding great comfort in the feeling of another body's warmth._

_Calum was still nibbling on his slice and let Michael lean on his side. The tan boy wrapped his arm around the black haired boy's middle and, to his surprise, felt quite a bit of softness there. Gently he felt around more (just out of pure curiosity when he realized something different about his boyfriend's body) and noticed how the boy's jeans were digging into the pale skin a little._

_Calum didn't think much of it and went to get one more slice from the pizza box, only to see that it was empty. He noticed Michael now licking his fingers next to him as the boy swallowed the last piece of their pizza._

_Michael had clearly eaten most of it and the kiwi boy grew a bit angry. This wasn't good for Michael's health and also meant that they wouldn't have anything for the next day or following evening. Since food was expensive, the two usually tried to spare whatever they were having, not eat it all at once._

_Calum slowly sat up and detached Michael from his side.  
"I'm gonna go to town with Roy. I'll bring something if we get food, maybe a salad for you this time. Noticed that your pants are getting a bit tight." With that he walked out of the front door leaving behind a confused Michael._

And yeah, that little comment made Michael eventually realize how much weight he had put on from a lousy diet. But, instead of starting to eat more healthy and maybe exercise, the now red haired boy got insecure. His goal in life was no longer to manage with money problems and the depression he had, instead it was to lose weight.

Because skinny equals beautiful, right?

-

The dinner was a mess. Michael was anxious about eating in front of so many people, especially with one of them being a complete stranger to him. Just like he thought beforehand, Ashton had made spaghetti and some weird dessert. Apparently they where the hazel eyed man's favorite foods, well, the only dishes he really knew how to make.

The red head really couldn't understand why he had been dragged there along with Calum. But, they both went as Ashton invited them. (Michael heard that it had originally been Luke's idea. He really disliked the boy for that.)

Luckily most of the guests we're enjoying themselves. Ashton happily chatted with his co-worker whilst Calum was stuffing his face. They were both oblivious to the tension in the room and Harry seemed to be enjoying himself, too.

Like Michael, the youngest one in the room also wasn't having a good time. Although naps weren't a necessity for most teens or even 6-year-olds, Luke (who's headspace sometimes got as young as a 3 year old) couldn't survive without sleeping a little on the day time. Having missed his nap whilst studying with Ashton, he was very tired and the boring dinner he had to be present in wasn't helping in that.

So, he left the table with the excuse of going to the bathroom and Ashton let him go without paying much attention to it. Michael sighed when the boy sitting opposite of him had escaped the situation, realizing how excluded he now was.

When the red haired boy had been picking on his food for 10 minutes, he grew slightly worried about Luke. The boy had yet to return to the table and Michael just wanted to leave as well. His food had gotten cold, Calum had picked out his phone and Ashton was still having a full-on conversation with Harry.

"I'm going to check on Luke", the pale boy mumbled and got up. He got a nod from his boyfriend, but - surprisingly - the other two in the room didn't seem to notice from their loud laughter.

Michael wandered upstairs from the kitchen and went to search the bathroom first. However, Luke wasn't there like he said he would be.

Michael carried on checking the second floor rooms. Soon enough the green eyed boy got into the biggest bedroom in the house, which belonged to Ashton. On the bed there laid none other than the little blonde Michael went looking for. He leaned against the door frame of the dark room sighing softly and studying the sleeping boy.

The thought of getting next to Luke and under the big quilt was much more inviting than the food and people downstairs. That was exactly what the red head did, and if an hour later Calum had to wake two boys up from their heavy slumber, it was okay.


	8. Chapter 8

The wind blowing from the sea was sharp and chilly. Michael didn't mind. He enjoyed the fresh air and the sound of crisp leaves crumbling under his shoes. The red head had wanted to get out of the small flat he lived in, and opted for going for a short walk around town. It was a Wednesday morning and everyone was either at school or work, leaving the streets empty. 

Walking around surrounded by the Autumn air gave Michael time to think. He thought about his boyfriend, their home, his friends, mental state and lack of job. Usually pondering things too much stressed the green eyed boy out, but in such a calm environment it was a perfect chance to clear his head out.

The walk to the center of Brighton was longer than Michael remembered. Even though Calum took the bus there every morning for work, the younger of the two didn't go there that often. He didn't have a reason to.

Thinking about his boyfriend and the male's job gave Michael an idea. He decided to visit Calum, who was currently at his work. The kiwi had a job as a Starbucks barista in one of the many coffee shops their city had. It wasn't the best way to earn an income, but it was the only choice Calum had. 

His boss was a friend of Michael's. The man knew about Calum's color blindness and desperate need of a job  
and was willing to hire the boy. Andy was a very chill person just wanting to help people the best he could. Not everyone had that kind of mindset.

Whilst on his walk to the town, Michael got to a bridge. It was very high up and over a wide river, it seemed. The view from it was very pretty, the trees on either side of it slightly frosty and leafless with some ducks swimming in the water.

Michael couldn't help letting certain thoughts slip to his mind as he stood behind the railing.

_Would I die if I jumped from here? Should I try?_

He sighed. It happened again. He was happy, content, and on his way to actually do something. Then his depressing thoughts took over. Just like that. Michael turned around and took in a deep breath.

The truth was that happiness was a scary feeling to experience. It was a state of mind so many people looked for, a feeling they tried to achieve. They would get there and then have their few down days. For Michael it was the complete opposite. He had people to distract him from being sad, but the depression was always present.

Happiness was temporary, and it was so easy to come crashing down.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last one! If you want to read more of ths story, head to my wattpad account. @lashykins once again
> 
> Edit, August 1st 2017: I deleted Whipped. It only exists on here and in my e-mail drafts.

The soft pitter-patter of Luke's feet was heard throughout the hall. He was making his way over to the living room where Ashton was working. 

Luke had been feeling especially needy that day, craving his daddy's attention, getting bored quickly and being over all whinier than normally. It felt like there was nothing for him to do in the whole house, but his daddy on the other hand had been very busy.

Ashton seemed to be drowning in work. Luke saw the coffee table being covered in papers scattered all over it. He didn't care much about his boyfriend quickly typing away on his laptop, and instead huffed loudly sitting down criss-crossed on the cold wooden floor. "Daddyyyy," Luke whined. The pout on his face grew, and he started mindlessly playing with Pengy which he had carried into the big room with him.

Ashton didn't even lift his face from the screen to glance at Luke, he only adjusted the reading glasses sitting on top of his beautifully carved nose. It wasn't until a quiet "Ashton" was heard that he finally acknowledged Luke's presence and turned to look at him.

"Lukey? What are you doing down there?" he asked.

Luke smiled big at the older male. "Hi, daddy!"

Luke jumped up and crawled on Ashton's lap giving the male no time to close his laptop or sit up properly. He laid his head on the stronger one's shoulder and mumbled into his collar bone, making Ashton smile at the warm breath. "I'm cold, daddy..."

Ashton chuckled at his little and wrapped his arms around him. "Let's warm you up then", he said, rubbing warmth back into the younger one. Luke sighed contently. He had finally gotten some of Ashton's time, although in his own opinion he needed every minute of it.

After a while of their peaceful cuddling and Luke almost falling asleep, he spoke up asking what Ashton was working on before. The strange response, a sudden halt in the arm rubbing his side and the way Ashton gulped, caught the blonde's attention.

"I umm... Can you please sit up straight for me, Luke." He instantly complied, becoming even more puzzled when he was then lifted up from his daddy's lap and placed next to the male. "Daddy is leaving for a short business trip. I had to do some work before that and... I leave on Friday."

"And it's Wednesday now?" the blue eyed one had his brows furrowed. 

"Yes, I was meant to tell you today. It's only for a few days and you can stay at Calum and Michael's, yeah?" Now pouting, Luke replied with a simple okay and let out a small sigh.

They conversed the trip, how long it would exactly be and why Ashton was sent there. He explained that he had been picked for the employer of the year and soon got to stay in Bali for four days. But, he wouldn't be going there alone. His co-worker, Harry, had gotten picked too. Although the company they worked for was big and successful, they couldn't spend too much money on silly trips for their employers. So, the two were getting sent to the same destination.

Now, Luke wasn't exactly thrilled to hear this. He already had a weird dislike for Harry, and now he was going away for a vacation with _his_ daddy for _four whole days_. That seemed incredibly unfair to the little who, for some reason, couldn't go with his daddy, and had never had a distance as big as this one with him. But, there was nothing to be done about it.

In the car ride to their good friends' house where the blonde went from little to big, he realized that the trip would be a fun break for his boyfriend. Besides, nothing could happen in such a short amount of time.

-

Calum and Michael's flat was small. It was quite a struggle to fit four grown men (well, three and a tall teenager) in the old looking kitchen, but that was where they were all now crammed up. Michael and Ashton sat around the small round table and Luke stood up next to it seeing as there weren't enough chairs. Whilst he could have taken a seat from Ashton's lap, big Luke was truthfully scared of breaking the dainty stool. Calum was standing up too, casually leaning against the kitchen counter.

"So, Luke's gonna have a sleepover here?" Calum asked. Ashton had called their house earlier to give a heads up about their visit and then explained what would be happening after the two had made it to the house.

"Yup, I'll be gone from Friday 'till Tuesday and I can't leave him alone, so I thought you guys could be with him for that while" Ashton replied. He thought Luke would want to give in his input now that the situation was put out that way, exclaiming how "he could take care of himself and wouldn't need someone to watch over him." He didn't though, and Ashton could tell that the blonde didn't mind spending time with his friends.

Michael then smirked playfully and said: "I dunno, I'm not sure if I want to babysit Lukey here for that long." He let out a laugh at the huff he got from the blue eyed one, but leaned over to give a pat on the boy's shoulder to show that he was joking. Everyone in the room knew how much Michael really adored his younger friend.

They ended up deciding that the three would be going to Ashton and Luke's home instead of the flat. Their house was bigger and bringing one more person to Calum and Michael's place wasn't ideal. Luke was mainly happier about this arrangement because it would allow him to sleep in his boyfriend's bed if he started missing him badly, although no one had to know that.

Right as the other pair was leaving, Calum suddenly spoke up. "Wait, why doesn't Luke just go to his parents'?" and well, that was one of the stupidest questions the kiwi had ever let out. Ashton wrapped his arm around Luke, Michael glared at his boyfriend and Luke looked down. They all grew quiet.

"Calum, you know they barely speak, you dumbass" Michael scolded him.  
"Okay guys, we'll see you in two days, yeah? Bye!" the red head exclaimed and closed the door after pushing the other two out. "Dick", he said under his breath whilst walking past Calum, getting a slow "Oh..." in reply.

Meanwhile Ashton and Luke were standing in the elevator on their way out of the building. Ashton had his arm still around his boyfriend's waist in a comforting way and was pressing small kisses to the side of his head.

"It's gonna be fun getting to stay with Calum and Michael, I promise, love."

"I hope so, Ashy."


End file.
